SpaceX Falcon Heavy penciled early September

SpaceX’s Florida manifest now includes two notable late-summer missions: a Falcon Heavy launch penciled in for early September 2026 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, and NASA’s CRS-35 cargo mission listed no earlier than August 2026 from Cape Canaveral, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s latest Space Coast launch schedule. NASA has separately said its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is on track for delivery to Kennedy in June and launch as soon as early September aboard a Falcon Heavy from 39A. On May 21, SpaceX also scrubbed a Starship test launch in Texas after a tower-arm pin failed to retract, halting the countdown seconds before liftoff. ### Which Falcon Heavy mission is now showing up in early September? NASA said on April 22 that the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was on track for delivery to Kennedy Space Center in June and for launch “as soon as early September” on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. A separate Kennedy update published in late April said preparations were underway for launch from Launch Complex 39A. (nasa.gov) NASA’s launch education schedule also lists Roman for September 2026 from Kennedy Space Center on Falcon Heavy, while NASA Science describes the mission as launching no earlier than September 2026. Orlando Sentinel’s schedule aligns with that window by placing a Falcon Heavy mission in early September from pad 39A. ### Why does pad 39A matter here? (nasa.gov) Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center is SpaceX’s Florida pad for Falcon Heavy missions, and NASA’s Roman contract specified a Falcon Heavy launch from 39A. NASA said in 2022 the Roman launch services contract with SpaceX was worth about $255 million and targeted launch from that pad. (public.ksc.nasa.gov) SpaceX says Falcon Heavy is made of three Falcon 9-derived cores and can generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. NASA chose that vehicle for Roman, a flagship astrophysics observatory designed to study dark energy, exoplanets and other astrophysics questions. ### What is CRS-35, the other Florida mission on the schedule? NASA’s CRS-35 mission is the agency’s next SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services flight to the International Space Station, carrying cargo, science experiments and supplies. (nasa.gov) NASA’s event page identifies it as a Dragon cargo mission under the Commercial Resupply Services program. The Orlando Sentinel schedule listed CRS-35 no earlier than August 2026 from Cape Canaveral. (spacex.com) NASA’s public mission page confirms the flight is on the calendar, though the page excerpt available publicly does not show a more precise launch date. ### How does the Starship scrub fit into SpaceX’s week? Bloomberg reported that SpaceX scrubbed Starship’s May 21 launch attempt from Starbase, Texas, after a pin holding the tower arm in place failed to retract. (nasa.gov) The countdown reached 40 seconds before the company called off the attempt, Bloomberg said. Spaceflight Now’s launch schedule said the scrubbed mission was Flight 12, the first launch of a Version 3 Starship, and listed the next launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. CDT on May 22. That issue was separate from the Florida Falcon Heavy and CRS-35 missions, which sit later on SpaceX’s 2026 launch calendar. ### What happens next on the Florida side? NASA said Roman is expected to arrive at Kennedy Space Center in June for launch processing ahead of a launch as soon as early September on Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A. (bloomberg.com) NASA’s public schedules continue to show CRS-35 no earlier than August 2026, with SpaceX flying the cargo Dragon mission to the International Space Station. (nasa.gov) (spaceflightnow.com)